For the first time, Harvard's incoming class has a majority of nonwhite students

Share

Share

For the first time in Harvard University's history, the majority of students accepted into the incoming freshman class are nonwhite.

Harvard's college admission and financial aid website posted statistics about the incoming freshman Class of 2021 this week. 50.8 percent are from minority groups, including African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Native Hawaiians. That’s up from 47.3 percent last year.

Of the 2,038 students admitted to the university, 14.6 percent identify as African American, 22.2 percent identify as Asian American, 11.6 percent identify as Hispanic or Latino and 2.5 percent identify as Native American.

The news comes days after The New York Times reported that the Trump administration is seeking to curtail affirmative action policies in university admissions.

The document, an internal announcement to the civil rights division, seeks current lawyers interested in working for a new project on “investigations and possible litigation related to intentional race-based discrimination in college and university admissions," the Times reported.

Harvard University said it remains committed to enhancing diversity on its campus.

"Our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion enhances our mission and solidifies our distinctive national identity as a place of excellence and innovation," the university said.